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Annual Hinkelfest comes home to roost

The 22nd edition of the all-things-chicken fest drew hungry crowds to Fredericksburg

By KATHY HACKLEMANFor The Lebanon Daily News

Updated:
09/14/2013 07:07:23 PM EDT

Cousins Molly Northridge, 4, and Connor Northridge, 4, take a swing at Hinkelfest in Fredericksburg on Saturday. They, respectively, are the children of Josh and Eileen Northridge of New York and Joel and Jordan Northridge of Camp Hill. Josh and Joel grew up in Fredericksburg and brought their families back to experience Hinkelfest. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS KATHY HACKLEMAN)

The barnyard fowl took center stage this weekend at Hinkelfest, but the 22nd annual event also drew crowds with its carnival rides, craft show, bingo, petting zoo and musical performances.

While many visitors sample an array of dishes at Hinkelfest, two women each try two dozen. Dawn Snader and Donette Quairoli are the judges for the annual cooking contest. This year, they sat down to sample 10 main dishes, eight breakfast casseroles and six desserts.

Jeff Heilman of Lebanon demonstrates the way he makes hand-crafted brooms on Saturday as Margaret Givler, the 9-year-old daughter of Elizabeth and Roy Givler of Harrisburg, watches. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS KATHY HACKLEMAN)

The main dishes featured chicken breasts, the casseroles were prepared with at least five eggs or chicken, and the desserts were required to use at least four eggs.

The trick to consuming samples of 24 dishes in one afternoon?

"Don't eat lunch," the judges said in unison.

Three of the two dozen dishes were prepared by Shirley Rudy, a local resident who has entered at least one dish every year since the contest began. Rudy, who often is named to the Hinkelfest winner's circle, entered smothered chicken breasts, a breakfast casserole and a praline apple cake this year.

Although she enjoys when her recipes are recognized, victory is not vital.

"Everybody who enters is a winner," she said.

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"You get several gift certificates just for entering, whether you win or not."

Rudy has a tried-and-true method of deciding which of her many recipes she brings to Hinkelfest.

"My family does the taste-testing," she said. "They are my guinea pigs. I try different recipes on them. Whatever they like the best, that is what I choose for my entries."

Rudy's family is not the only one involved in Hinkelfest. This year, Josh and Eileen Northridge, who now live in New York, and Joel and Jordan Northridge, of Camp Hill, made the trip with their children to be with family members who still live in the area.

Josh and Joel grew up in the area, and they wanted to bring their kids back to visit family and experience Hinkelfest firsthand. They also came to support another brother, Joe, performing with the Northern Lebanon High School Alumni Band.

"The kids love the rides, and we're all having a great time," Josh said.

In addition to a variety of products for sale, the craft show included broom-making demonstrations by Lebanon resident Jeff Heilman, who began making brooms by hand last spring. A crowd gathered as he demonstrated the differences in inside brooms, sidewalk brooms, barn brooms, whisk brooms and novelty brooms. Using pre-cut materials and equipment dating to the late 1800s, he takes about 10 minutes to wind each broom and another 10 minutes to sew it together.

A good, handmade broom should last five or six years if it's treated properly, Heilman said.

"Be sure you stand it upside down, and if you get it wet, let it dry out," he said. "Remember, it is a natural product, and it can mildew if it gets wet and you don't dry it before you put it away."

This year's event - Jerry Reardon's first as president of the Hinkelfest Committee - is shaping up to be a good one.

"The chairman's job," he explained, "is to make sure we have a successful festival so we can raise money for the local organizations we donate to, and to make sure it's a positive event for the people of Fredericksburg and surrounding areas. ... We'll continue to do this as long as we can, although we always need more volunteers."

The committee, which has donated more than $230,000 in the first 21 years of the festival, is splitting the proceeds among these local organizations: Fredericksburg Community Library, Community Association, Fredericksburg Fire Co., American Legion Auxiliary and Fredericksburg Lions Club.

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Hinkelfest will conclude Sunday, featuring an open air worship service by the Fredericksburg Ministerium at 10:30 a.m., carnival rides, booths and a performance by the Perseverance Band at 12:30 p.m.